Hyuugas Are Strong
by ritsu.sohma.rox.my.sox
Summary: The Heiress of the Hyuuga clan has completed her training and has finally emerged. Sporting a rebellious attitude and a disdain for the Hyuuga elders, this heiress is no lady. R
1. The Heiress

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. All rights go to Masashi Kishimoto.

Have fun reading my little fiction story! Whoo!

_**Chapter One: The Heiress**_

'_**Hyuugas are Strong'**_ screamed the metal bracelet I had taken to wearing. I had also taken to wearing other various accessories in metal, lace, or spikes. My clothes now consisted of skinny jeans, band t-shirts, belts you never actually wore as belts, but as waist accessories, and tank tops. Hyuuga elders eyed me with distate now, hoping the "little heiress" was going through a phase.

_Psh_, I thought disdainfully. _Like they even really cared. They knew as well as I did that now my clothes matched my attitude. Matched how I would rule. And they can't say anything, because I won't listen and they can't stop me. Being free feels good_.

And that is true. Because Hiashi had named ME heir. The day I turned sixteen, I was officially the future leader. I was going to rule the Hyuuga clan. And it was going to be exhilarating. It was going to be freaking amazing.

Of course, I had felt guilty about taking that position over my older sister, Hinata. But she assured me she was better off without the pressure.

That's right, it's my story. I am Hanabi Hyuuga: future leader of the Hyuuga Clan.

Nowadays I barely did anything. I had completed the training required to be a powerful Hyuuga and I worked out everyday. Hiashi was aging and rarely made me, a strong teenager in her prime, do much of anything.

Except this. These dumb "village gatherings". The name in itself was horrible. It was some thing the 5th Hokage had set up as a monthly event. People come. People mill around. People go. Time wasted.

MY time wasted, if you wanted to be specific.

So I'm just sitting here all by myself at this stupid village gathering. Hiashi had dropped me off and left due to a "previous engagement". Like hell he did! He hated these things almost as much as I did. But he loves to torture me. I think it's an old person thing from being isolated most of your life: take it out on the kids. Lucky Hinata, she moved into her own apartment. Who cares about Hiashi thinking he doesn't know anyone? He should be here suffering like me!

Yeah, and I totally know everyone old man. NOT.

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So I went to the Academy for what, like a week. Father wanted the results he got from Hinata. So I went and met some kids yadda yadda yadda.

A week later, I was sent home for using my bloodline. Like it was my fault. There was this kid. This really dumb kid with big blank brown eyes.

The dobe asked why my eyes were so weird looking.

I informed him that it was because I was a Hyuuga.

He had no idea what I was talking about. Baka.

So basically, I summed it up for him: I. Am. Stronger. Than. You. _Comprende_?

Obviously not. He proceeded to rant about how he was going to be Hokage someday.

And it wasn't like he was only preaching forty feet away. He was **screaming**…in my **EAR**. Such a loud voice. So annoying. It got to a point when I just couldn't take it anymore. So I did what anyone else would do in my position.

I shut down all his chakra. Duh.

His silent unconcious body is a sweet sweet memory for me.

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So I'm sitting there, punch in hand, watching a bunch of older ninja grind and freak on the dance platform. God, when was this effing OVER?? If I went home now, Hiashi would make me come back. Like literally, **make** me. Because I was supposed to "represent the great Hyuuga Clan". Yeah, at **this** hoedown of a gathering? I didn't think so.

And I was enduring this because it was anyone's guess when HE would drag himself down here to get _me_.

A slow song emerged through all the noise. Ahh…finally. The older ninja paired up or dispersed. I smirked at the single ones. Losers.

A pink haired one glared at me like she knew what I had just called her. Weird.

"Excuse me?" A voice interrupted my stare down. I looked up. It was a boy. He had brown hair that stuck up in a cute way and big brown eyes. I stared. _He's hot_, I found myself thinking.

"Hey," I said before I ended up looking like an idiot. He smiled at me nervously.

"Want to dance?" He asked, gesturing toward the throng of people.

"Sure," I agreed, dumping my cup in the trashbin.

He took my hand and led me onto the dance floor. I so was surprised at the sudden contact that I pulled back instinctively. What can I say? It was only my Hyuuga senses. Half a second later, I realized he had taken my hand. That same moment, he looked back at me, probably wondering why I had pulled away. I took his hand this time and led him onto the dance floor.

He stood there awkwardly for a second. Sighing internally, I assuredly locked my hands around the back of his neck. He then placed his hands on my waist. We swayed back and forth for a while. _This feels nice_.

"Oh," he burst out. "I'm Konohamaru. Nice to meet you." _What? That name…it sounds kind of familiar..._

"I'm Hanabi," I said, realizing just now that slow dancing was awkward. _Do we talk or not? Do we look at each other or away? _Ironically, I found myself wishing for a faster, louder song.

_Oh shut up_, I scolded myself. _You're a Hyuuga—suck it up. Be strong, Hyuugas are strong._

"So," I smirked. "Konohamaru…cute name." He…blushed?? Awesome, I made him blush.

"Not me choice," he muttered, while grinning abashadly at the same time. I smiled, tilting my head back to look at him fully. He really was cute. I had probably gotten hecka lucky—tons of girls had to have been waiting for him.

I scanned the area quickly and immediately spotted a girl staring at him, er, us. She had her bright ORANGE hair in a freaky up-do. I snickered and looked down.

"You know," he said slowly. "I get the feeling that I know you…but I can't remember where…"

"Yeah," I agreed, frowning slightly like I always do when I'n thinking hard. "But I can't quite think of it"

"Have I seen you anywhere?" he asked hopefully. "School? Store? Hospital? Hokage's office?"

"Nah," I said, shaking my head. "I'm home-schooled, I barely go out, never been to the hospital, and I don't get missions."

His mouth dropped.

"You don't get MISSIONS??"

"Well I will soon, now that I've finished training," I replied, getting suprisingly irritated at his tone. What was he, stupid?

"What level ninja _are_ you?" he cried. "You've gotta be pretty slow to just finish now…I mean because you look pretty old…no! not like old old but like way over academy level…" I rolled my eyes.

"I'm a jounin." We stopped swaying. I looked up at him.

He looked so…dumb. Mouth open, eyes wide. I waved my hand in front of his face. No response. Ugh, did I really have this stupid ( but good-looking!) guy as my dance partner?

"H-how _old_ are you??" he croaked.

"Seventeen," I said, wondering why he was so freaked out.

"But I'm a **chuuin** and I'm **eighteen**! I've worked so hard," he yelled obnoxiously. _Dude, this familiar feeling is soo strong. But I can't put my finger on it!_ His ranting continued. "And you could end up _Hokage_ in like two years or whenever Granny Tsunade kicks the bucket!"

Oh my gosh. The way he said "Hokage"…the inflection…the tone…it was so FAMILIAR, I couldn't shake it off. Suddenly, I had a flashback.

_Boy._

_Blank look._

_Me. _

_Anger._

_Boy. _

_Unconcious._

_Me. _

_Satisfaction._

I gasped, pulling away. Konohamaru looked startled.

"What?" he asked, reaching for me again. I stepped back more.

"YOU," I snapped. His eyes widened.

"What??" he cried.

"I remember YOU," I spat disdainfully, stalking off so fast there was no way he could ever find me in the crowd.

I ran out of there as fast as I could, taking alleys so not even Shikamaru, the boy genius, could have tracked me. I was going home, I decided. No way was I going to be within 30 miles of that baka of a boy. If he was stupid and insensitive to me, then fine. If he couldn't respect power and influence, so be it. If he wasn't going to act like an intelligent human being, then he can just go soak his head.

No way in hell was Hiashi going to make me come back here ever again.

_**End of Chapter One**_

Thanks for reading!

_(Could you comment and tell me if I should continue or not?)_


	2. Anger Management

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. All rights go to Masashi Kishimoto.

_**Chapter Two: Anger Management**_

I was irritated. Maybe a tad more than that, but I wasn't about to say it out loud. That's because I had no right to. Neji was getting it about a hundred times worse than I was.

It showed clearly on his face. Pale eyes fixated on the wall in concentration. Hands firmly clasped together in his lap. Posture that would make a sky scraper look sloppy. Ah, the typical Hyuuga display of tense-ness, if that was a word.

"Old man getting you down?" I mocked, but my heart wasn't into it. These past few days were weighing down on me and I just wasn't in the mood for picking on people. Neji's brows furrowed slightly, but he stayed silent.

"Cat got your tongue?" I prodded him dully with my words. "Wait, Hiashi's not a cat, I'll take that back."

He flew at me faster than I would have thought possible. Shutting down most of my chakra, he proceeded to pin me to the wall.

"Shut up, brat," he spat. My eyes widened. I hadn't known he was _this_ angry. "Don't think because you're the heiress doesn't mean you have special authority over the rest of us."

"Neji…You know I don't see it that way," I said softly, but he wasn't listening.

"Get out of here," he said, defeatedly. "Go get Hiashi's laundry or his groceries or something. Just get out."

At this point, I knew it was no use. I silently grabbed my bag and swiftly left the compound. _What a stuck-up prick_, I thought nastily, heading for my one safe haven. _Doesn't he know I was just freaking kidding? **I'm** not the one to blame. Blame the old man._

I knocked and waited as patiently as I could. Not counting my own frustration with Hiashi's condition, Neji's was also messing with my mood. The door opened promptly, revealing a pale girl with long midnight blue hair and bangs wearing a white cotton dress. The only thing similar about us were our identical pale lavender eyes.

"H-Hanabi," she said, stuttering slightly like she did when she was surprised. "What brings you here?"

"What do you think?" I snapped tiredly. Hinata looked slightly affronted, but didn't say anything. That's what I liked about her. She would let you take your anger out on her, and still love you. She would still love _me_, no matter what.

"Tea? Rice balls?" she suggested, heading for her small kitchenette.

"Just tea," I said, collapsing on her couch.

"What's been happening over there?" Hinata asked. "Neji was in a bad mood too when I saw him yesterday."

"Hiashi," I said. "Has the stomach flu. And he won't let us forget it."

Hinata made a sympathetic noise, setting the kettle on the stove. She strode over to the sofa, or glided rather, and sat down next to me.

"He's basically made everyone his slave," I said bitterly. "Neji, me, maids, even some of the Elders."

"Well he **is** sick…" Hinata said quietly. I shot a grimace at her.

"But when you or I get sick, we don't act like such wusses," I said.

"Is it really all that bad?"

"_Nejiiii! Clean this up, its been sitting here for at least five minutes_," I mimicked, whining in a deeper pitch. "_Hanabiii I'm huungryy!_ I swear, he's like a five year old all over again."

Hinata made that sympathetic noise again as the teapot began to shriek. Huh, I had no idea teapots could imitate your inner thoughts.

"What you need," Hinata said, pouring the tea. "Is some outdoor time. You're always so cooped up in there. Stretch your legs or something."

"What I need," I said firmly. "Is to live somewhere far, far away where Hiashi will never find me to clean up his barf." Hinata made a face.

"It's true," I said, slightly apologetic for my blunt language. Even though she was older, Hinata was still pretty innocent mentally. I would bet money that she hadn't cursed yet. "Plus, I train all the time with those douchebags. Hiashi deserves his weak, immobile state."

"How about we walk around in the marketplace so you can relax a little and cool off your thoughts," Hinata said hastily. I grunted, which she took as an agreement. She went into her bedroom and came out a few minutes later with a jacket and shoes on and a small bag slung over her shoulder.

"You look kinda preppy," I said, eyeing her critically. The long-sleeved jacket only fell to her waist and made the fact that her cotton dress was only knee length more prominent. And to top it off, she was wearing _flats_. I mean seriously. She flushed slightly.

"You l-look kinda punk," she said. "But there's nothing I can do about that."

"There's nothing wrong with what I'M wearing," I said, looking down at my clothes. Hinata just laughed and pulled me out the door.

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"Do you like these ones?" she asked for the millionth time. I rolled my eyes. I think the vendor did too, but by the time I looked, her head was ducked and she was busily rearranging the boxes of earrings and necklaces and pendants and whatever other crap she was selling.

"Hinata, I don't _want_ or _need_ earrings," I said, hoping the message would sink in sooner rather than later. Else I would have to flip over the booth and I didn't want to have to do that. Or maybe I did.

"Well you have to have _some_ for the Konoha Annual Formal," Hinata said, strangely bordering on whiny.

"Okay, one: don't say anything like that _ever_ again, and two: I have no idea what you are talking about," I said, wishing she hadn't become so outspoken.

"You know, the Annual Formal…" Hinata said, trailing off.

"No I don't," I said, becoming a little irritated. I think the vendor was eavesdropping, but I couldn't see that far to the side with my peripheral vision.

"Well, the Hokage only instated it this year, so its only the First Annual, but still, lots of people are excited about it," she hastily continued under my intense stare. "I sort of assumed you were going, since it _is_ mandatory-"

"MANDATORY??" I screeched. "HOW'S IT MANDATORY??"

I could feel the crowd to turn toward my sudden commotion. Hinata shushed me and pulled me into a nearby café. _Serves her right_, I thought nastily, _to be embarrassed_. She forced me into a chair and instructed me not to leave. I sat, fuming, in a chair as Hinata went to get me a drink. Not that I wanted anything. Like I needed another stupid party that the Hokage decided to throw. If I were Hokage…

"Drink this," Hinata appeared, holding out a cup. It was cool and sweet, but it didn't soothe my mind.

"So I have to go?" I asked, disbelievingly. Hinata nodded.

"You used to love parties and dressing up and all of that," she said. "Don't you want to go?"

"No way in hell," I snapped. "It's just a bunch of _pricks_ pretending to have fun."

"Oh its not as bad as all that," Hinata said encouragingly.

"Yes it is!" I insisted. "I just don't want to go and dress up! It's a big waste of time. And it will be boring, like all the _other_ stupid gatherings, and I don't know anyone and I'll be by myself. Again."

"You won't be by yourself," Hinata said, puzzled. "Wont Nii-san and Outo-san and all the Elders be there also?"

"They will?" I perked up.

"Well," Hinata said tilting her head to the side and looking up, as if recalling a memory. "Tsunade-sama was very, erm, **insistent**, that everyone would attend, unless she excused them for good reasons."

"Fantastic," I murmured, just picturing it. "Accidently" tip the ice sculpture over to Hiashi. Throw perfectly shining silver knives at Neji's back. Not to hurt them, but to embarrass them. The mighty Hyuugas not seeing anything simple coming their way. They had the Eyes after all, it wasn't like they would die. Just suffer for their mistreatment of me. I felt like laughing manically for the fun of it. "Revenge will be mine."

"Hanabi," Hinata said sternly, drawing me out of my thoughts. "It is a prestigious dinner, with many foreign guests. As a shinobi of Konoha and a member of the Hyuuga Clan, I expect the heiress to _behave_ accordingly."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded.

"I'm advising you to keep your anger an impatience in check," Hinata said, rather bluntly if you knew Hinata. "Because if the dinner is disturbed, Tsunade-sama is _not_ your worst enemy, do you understand?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I said, returning to my daydream, only my actions were more subtle. Like maybe if I stole their silverware. Childish, I knew, but these thoughts crept up at me because I had a sufficient lack of a real childhood anyhow. But I totally did not have anger problems.

And then it happened. My semi-perfect outing with Hinata, ruined. Just like that.

One moment I was lost in my own thoughts and the next I was staring into a wide-eyed earnest face. Automatically, my thoughts reverted to one word. _Idiot_.

And automatically, my body took immediate action.

Hinata dragged me out of there too fast for me to see my beautiful work, but the satisfaction I got was still the same.

_**End of Chapter Two**_

Sorry for not updating sooner, for this being such a short, and for the hasty, badly written chapter! I know it's all so clichéd and weird and gooey like it belongs on a soap opera :P

Thank you for the positive feedback!


	3. Escaping

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. All rights go to Masashi Kishimoto.

_**Chapter Three: Escaping **_

Flipping through the pages somewhat rushed, I finally found the page I was looking for. The printed interview with one of my favorite bands. I read the article about eleven times before I lost track. I was busy fantasizing about the lead singer when Neji comes in. I glance up, decide that I'm still mad at him and go back to reading my magazine. My peripheral vision lets me see him shuffling awkwardly.

"How are you today?" he asks stiffly. I give a half-hearted lift of my left shoulder and flip to the next glossy, perfect page.

"Are you feeling better than yesterday?" he says quietly. It sounds as though he was thinking it, then wanted to say it, but his Hyuuga mentality prevented him from saying it too loud, God forbid another Hyuuga would hear it. But I was a Hyuuga. And I heard it.

"Neji Hyuuga, are you trying to _**apologize**_??" I am astounded. I don't know what to say. He looks down, the most Hyuuga way of expressing discomfort.

"I should not have lost my temper," he said, ignoring me. "I'm sure you can be very empathetic with me at this point."

"Sure, I can be," I muttered, reverting back.

"I just wanted to let you know how I felt," Neji said simply. Neji, the most anti social of all of us, having feelings? I felt it easier to ignore him. What else was I supposed to do? Go all mushy on him as well? No way in hell. Neji stood there silently, waiting.

"What do you want?" I snapped. Neji shrugged.

"I suppose I was waiting for something," he said softly. I glared.

"Get out of my room," I said. Hyuugas are strong. We don't deal with feelings. If we get too close, we react like a lactose intolerant person being force fed whipped cream. Neji exited. He didn't seem regretful of his confession. Well, it was basically a confession enough for a Hyuuga. Ugh. Yet again, I needed to escape this house.

I stole out of the back without anyone seeing me and I looped around the property. It took a while to get to the center of town from our compound, but I run fast.

I wandered around, hands in my pockets. For the first time in my whole life, I wished I could be someone else for a change. Who wanted to be a Hyuuga? No one. You were cursed with a cold family from the moment you were born. A permanent hierarchy existed within us, as cold and hard as we seemed to the outside world. You stood tall unless you wanted shame.

Hinata was always the lucky one. She moved away, freeing herself. She relieved the position to me. Believing it was what I wanted. And I did, at a time. Now I didn't know. She was never a true Hyuuga anyway. Blessed with our Eyes, she never was cold. She never was proud. Or disdainful or cruel or…strong. The Hyuuga strong. I looked at my bracelet. It suddenly felt heavy. It no longer had scratches in the shiny surface. The years of wearing it made it smooth and dull. But the words stayed; they were as black as the inner core of the name Hyuuga itself.

Someone tapped on my shoulder and I immediately sunk into my defense position. It was a natural reflex.

"Don't kill me!" a voice cried. Hands slowly uncovered a cowering figure. It was him. I raised my hand to strike.

"Wait!" he said, big eyes pleading. "Can't you just tell me who you are?" I paused. He must be a true idiot to not know who I am at this point. I rolled my eyes.

"I thought you would have figured it out by now," I said disdainfully. "Apparently third time's the charm doesn't apply to you."

"Third?" he asked.

"You irritate me," I said. "Go play with your little friends or dolls or something." He flushed at that.

"I'm not _littler_ than you," he argued. I winced, expecting a whine, but his voice was deeper than it was at the Academy. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt my ears. I relaxed.

"You sure act like it," I retorted and began walking again. He trotted after me.

"For someone so short, you sure got a lot of anger stocked up inside of you," he remarked, trying to make conversation. _Wrong move,_ I thought. No one ever mentioned my obvious stature at the Hyuuga compound. I was the Hyuuga Heiress for Kami's sake. But he didn't know that. To him, I was just another girl. A girl that frequently knocked him out with a touch of the hand.

"Don't," I said, glaring at him over my shoulder. "Call. Me. Short." He slowed his pace down, but continued to follow me. I supposed not knocking him out gave him the idea that I would tolerate his presence. Ugh. Maybe I just didn't want to deal with the stares today.

"I saw you yesterday," he continued. "And you knocked me out. Again. For the…third time I guess? I don't remember the first."

"You wouldn't," I snorted.

"You could refresh my memory?" he prompted hopefully.

"Nah, I'm just waiting until your slow brain figures it out," I said. Like that was ever going to happen.

"That could take forever," he joked.

"It could," I said seriously.

"Are you thirsty?" he asked. I was taken aback. I was in the middle of insulting him and then he wants to know if I'm thirsty??

"What?"

"Thirsty," he repeated. "You know, like you drink something because you feel—"

"I know what it is," I snapped. "I just, well, didn't expect—" Why was I fumbling with words? I always knew what I was going to say.

"Ooh," he exclaimed. "That's a good place." Without thinking, he grabbed my wrist and dragged me in. Without thinking, I let him.

I stood awkwardly at the door while he assuredly went over to the counter and ordered. Being awkward made me feel more awkward. Years ago, I was a strong child. I was raised with the mentality that I must train harder and longer than anyone I met that was stronger than me. I was promised that one day I would be above them all. Only Hinata was actually guaranteed that. As I became a preteen, I saw the faults in this. I rebelled, turned my life and myself into one big gigantic tantrum. But Hinata gave up, set herself free. I thought I was getting what I wanted. But now, after these years have past and I've seen Hiashi, the stoniest, coldest man I know break down and become weak, I wonder what it was all for. Training so hard just to end up like him. Why?

Sometime later, I realized this was the same place I was with Hinata yesterday. I wondered if he knew that and if that was why he chose this place.

"Here's your drink," Konohamaru said, handing me something fruity in a cup. Sipping cautiously, it tasted similar to what I had had with Hinata yesterday.

"We were here yesterday too," I stated, testing to see if he remembered. "I was with my siiii…my friend."

"That girl you were with?" he inquired. I turned away, refusing to answer. He chuckled. "Okay, so you know her."

"Do _**you**_ know her?" I demanded. He shrugged.

"Sure, lots of people do," he said. "I mean, she's with Naruto and everything."

"With who now?" I asked. Now it was his turn to stare at me.

"Don't tell me you don't know who Naruto Uzumaki is," he said disbelievingly. If Hyuugas could flush, I would.

"I'm not stupid," I said. "Don't look at me like that."

"Sorry," he said. "It's just, Naruto's a big inspiration for ...me …I didn't know you didn't know him…"

"Well don't look at me like I don't know anything," I said again. I paused. "So, she's...dating this Naruto person?"

Konohamaru nodded. I got the sense that it was old news.

"I see," I mused. No wonder she was so nervous about the Annual Formal. I felt a twinge of anger that she hadn't told me, but then I suspected she was waiting until the Formal to tell us. Hinata did that, she waited until she was positively sure.

"Say, are you even from around here?" he asked, eyes as concentrated as I've ever seen them.

"I was at that stupid gathering, wasn't I?" I said, my words laced with bitterness.

"Oh yeah," he said. "You were just sitting there."

"Actually," I said solemnly. "I was just sulking there." It took him awhile, but once he realized I had cracked a joke, he grinned.

Just then, the orange haired girl from the gathering who gave me a dirty look walked into the café. I saw her before she saw me.

"That girl," I murmured to him. "You know her, right?" He turned around conspicuously. I held back a groan. Didn't they teach how _not_ to get caught 101 at the Academy or something?

"Yeah," he said. "She's on my Chuuin team." I nodded. So they were on the same team. That meant they were close. But not as close as I think she wanted them to be. If there was any shred of hope that this annoying teme would still continue to be my friend, I wanted to use that against her. I wanted her to be jealous. It was just my competitive Hyuuga side……….right?

"I remember her from the gathering," I said. "Don't tell her that I said this, but she doesn't like me." He was surprised and was about to say something, but she had spotted us and was heading over to our table. Her eyes were glued on me.

_**End of Chapter Three**_

Finally, Chapter Three! I hope you guys liked it!

**R&R!!!**


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